Non-reflecting window



Sept. 5, 1939. H. M. ALEXANDER 2,172,134

NONREFLBCTING. WINDOW Filed March 20. 1936 gvwmvbo o H/waw M. ALEXANDER 88- U! 1 [CS Patented Sept. 5, 1939 en w;

NON-REFLECTIN G WINDOW Harold M. Alexander, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation oi. Ohio Application March 20,

1 Claim.

The present invention relates broadly to windows in general and more particularly to windows of the non-glare or non-reflecting type.

This form of window is particularly suitable for use in flares and shops and behind which goods are to be displaye The window is so constructed as to nullify or reduce external reflections so that an observer standing in front of the window may obtain a clear view of the arti-- cles on display without being distracted or annoyed by the reflection of objects in the street or of buildings upon the opposite side of the street.

Various designs of non-reflecting windows have been suggested and in practically all of these designs an absorbing screen is used which constitutes a dark background. This principle is illustrated in the patent to Gerald Brown, 1,911,881, issued May 30, 1933, which discloses a window comprising two curved sheets of glass meeting as a cusp at about normal eye level. Arranged in front of the curved glass sheets at both the top and bottom of the window are vertical light absorbing screens so positioned that the field of reflected view is directed from the sheets of glass onto the light absorbing screens.

The object of this invention is to provide a non-glare or reflectionless window of an entirely difierent type and which is of especial utility for relatively narrow store or shop windows, closed at both ends, or for narrow but high windows in any type of building.

Heretofore, it has been customary, as shown in the above-mentioned patent, to employ plates of glass which are curved in a vertical plane so that the axis of the bend of each plate extends horizontally. According to the present invention, however, the glass plates forming the window are curved in a horizontal plane so that the axes of the bends extend vertically. By arranging the glass plates in a manner that the axes of the bends are set vertically instead of horizontally, there is provided a window which may be effectively used in relatively narrow window openings as well as in the construction of windows which are of substantially greater height than width.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing wherein like numerals are employed'to designate like parts throughout the same,

' u Fig. 1 is a front view of a non-reflecting window 1936, Serial No. 69,900

constructed in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the window taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the window is formed of two curved plates 5 and 6 of transparent material such as glass fitted into the window opening 1. The glass plates 5 and 5 are curved in a horizontal plane and converge together in the form of a. cusp 8 at substantially the center of the window opening. Each glass plate constitutes the arc of a circle, with the said plates curving continuously inwardly and laterally from the cusp to the sides of the window opening. Theglass plates are therefore formed in a double curve concave to the front, the axis of the bend of each plate, as well as the cusp 8, extending vertically rather than horizontally as is the general practice.

The outer vertical edges of the glass plates terminate a substantial distance inwardly from the cusp 8 and arranged at opposite sides of the window opening and extending from the glass plates to the front of the window are the vertical parallel light absorbing screens 9 and I formed of any suitable material and the inner surfaces of which are preferably painted black. If desired, the said screens may consist of black velvet. The glass plates and 6 are of such curvature and the light absorbing screens 9 and H) are so disposed with respect thereto that the field oi! reflected view is directed from the said planes onto the said light absorbing screens. Consequently, the reflected field of view of the observer is at the light absorbing screens so that no objectionable reflections can be seen. It is therefore possible for the observer to look straight through the window without any annoyance caused by reflection:

By way of example, the numeral ll indicates the position of the eyes of an observer who is standing in front of the window and looking therethrough. The lines a indicates the lines of vision from the eyes of the observer to the glass plates 5 and 6, while the lines b indicate the direction in which the rays of light would be reflected which passed along the lines a and impinged against the glass plates, it being seen that said rays of light would be reflected against the light absorbing screens 9 and I0 and would not be returned by said screens to the eyes 01 the observer to cause confustlon and a reflection of objects outside the window. In other words, the arrangement of the glass plates and absorbing screens is such that objectionable reflections are directed away from the eyes of an observer and onto the light absorbing screens. The lines a would be continued as indicated at a to the objects upon the opposite side of the glass plates from that upon which the observer is located. With this arrangement, all reflected light which enters the eyes of an observer can come only from the absorbing screens and since these screens are black no reflected light enters the observers eyes no matter how sunny the window may be. This enables the observer to look through the window almost as though no glass were there. Manifestly, the observer does not have to be standing at the exact location designated at H for the window to be effective in reducing or nullifying glare. On the contrary, the window would be invisible to an observer within a relatively large area.

From the above, it will be seen that there has been provided a non-reflecting window construction which is particularly suitable for use in relatively narrow store or shop windows or for windows of considerably greater height than width. In addition to being used as a window for stores and shops and behind which goods are adapted to be displayed, the construction may also be used in the facades of buildings not only to give an ornamental effect but to also permit a clear view therethrough from the outside. The window can also be used in the lobbies of buildings and since the glass plates are bent on vertical axes rather than on horizontal axes, the window can be made as high as desired by simply mounting a sufficient number of pairs of glass plates one upon the other.

I claim:

A non-reflecting window, comprising two transparent glass plates fitted in the window opening and curving inwardly and laterally from substantially the center of the window to the opposite sides thereof so that they are formed in a double curve concave to the front and converging together in the form of a cusp, said glass plates being of the same width and curvature and each constituting the arc of a circle andplane, flat, light-absorbing surfaces arranged at the sides of thewindovra'nd extending from the glass plates forwardly to the front of the window opening, said light-absorbing surfaces being arranged in planes at right angles to the plane of the front of the window.

HAROLD M. ALEXANDER. 

